Occasionally I receive e-mails from an organisation called Armageddon Books, which advertises and sells various books dealing with eschatology (from various viewpoints). An e-mail dated 9 August 2005 advertised a book by Kevin R. Swift entitled Miraculous New Evidence that the End is Near. The blurb read thus:
The prophetDaniellong foretold of IRAQ’S overthrow, and Daniel 8& 11 predicts that IRAN will be next. We are literally on the verge of a nuclear holocaust, natural catastrophes, Antichrist’s appearance and the Great Tribulation.
- This book takes you step by step through the 21 Point Appointed Times & Seasons End-Time Calendar, and exposes Jewish dates when final events are destined to occur.
- How do we decipher the 666 code? If Antichrist is alive today, where is he?
- Discover howDaniel’s prophetic time lines fall between the Jewish Festivals “to the day” every eight years, and how years 2005-2008 meets the next alignment.
“Miraculous New Evidence the End is Near” reveals how final events have already begun, and much more new evidence you need to know. This is no ordinary end-time discourse. Order this Scripture-filled book today!
Mr. Swift purports to prove that the end is near. But another interpretation of the end times has been offered by David Chilton, author of The Days of Vengeance. Chilton writes:
The early Christians who first read the Book of Revelation, especially those of a Jewish background, had to understand that the destruction of Jerusalem would not mean the end of covenant or Kingdom. The fall of oldIsraelwas not “the beginning of the end.” Instead, it was the sign that Christ’s worldwide Kingdom had truly begun, that their Lord was ruling the nations from his heavenly throne, and that the eventual conquest of all nations by the armies of Christ was assured. For these humble, suffering believers, the promised age of the Messiah’s rule had arrived. And what they were about to witness in the fall ofIsraelwas the end of the Beginning.
Chilton is absolutely right! The fall of Jerusalem—as foretold in Revelation—was not “the beginning of the end” but “the end of the Beginning.” In the same way that the end of the 40-year tribulation in the wilderness marked the entrance ofIsraelinto the blessings of the Promised Land, so the end of the great tribulation under Nero marked the entrance of the church into the full blessings of the new covenant.
As noted throughout our studies, I believe that the great tribulation of which Scripture speaks (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 2:22; 7:14) is a time of testing that the church of the first century underwent. Just as one generation (40 years) experienced testing in the wilderness before entrance into the Promised Land so one generation (40 years) experienced the testing of the great tribulation before entrance into the blessings of the new covenant. The destruction ofJerusalem, as Chilton notes, marked the beginning of a new age (the one in which we also live): the age in which Christ rules and reigns from heaven.
There is no more important lesson that we can learn as believers than that Jesus Christ currently rules the universe from the right hand of His Father. For 150 years the church has been taught that the only way the church will ever be victorious in this world is if Jesus Christ is physically present on the planet. Surprisingly, the same theology seems to suggest that Satan does not have to be physically present on the earth to have victory in his cause! It seems almost as if Satan is given more power than Christ in such doctrine.
Biblical proof of Christ’s present rule from the right hand of the Father abounds. One illustration will suffice. Consider Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison—in answer to the prayers of the church—even though Christ was not physically on earth (Acts 12). The biblical truth is that Jesus Christ is King now. Therefore, the church can expect victory in this present world.
The present reign of Christ as Lord of all is the overriding theme of Revelation 11. In this chapter, the seventh trumpet is sounded, at which point John hears these wonderful words, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (11:15). And this became a reality whenJerusalemand the Jewish temple were destroyed.
The destruction of the temple, then, was a wonderful event for the Christian: it signalled the ‘formal’ beginning of the eternal reign of Christ. Sadly, however, there are many Christians who have an utterly unbiblical attitude toward the temple. Two attitudes are prevalent. First, some lament the fall of the temple as if it was a terrible spiritual tragedy. Second, there are those who anticipate the rebuilding of the temple sometime in our future.
My eldest daughter recently told me about some Jewish friends at university who were observing a fast called Tisha B’Av. This fast commemorates, among other things, the destruction of the temple in70 A.D. Judaism 101 website has this to say about the fast:
Tisha B’Av, the Fast of the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, many of which coincidentally have occurred on the ninth of Av.
Tisha B’Av means “the ninth (day) of Av.” It usually occurs during August.
Tisha B’Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av (the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E [before Christian era, the Jewish version of B.C.]; the second by the Romans in70 C.E. [Christian era, the Jewish version of A.D.]
Although this holiday is primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the Jewish people, many of which have occurred on this day, most notably the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
Tisha B’Av is the culmination of a three week period of increasing mourning, beginning with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which commemorates the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem, before the First Temple was destroyed. During this three week period, weddings and other parties are not permitted, and people refrain from cutting their hair. From the first to the ninth of Av, it is customary to refrain from eating meat or drinking wine (except on the Shabbat) and from wearing new clothing.
The restrictions on Tisha B’Av are similar to those on Yom Kippur: to refrain from eating and drinking (even water); washing, bathing, shaving or wearing cosmetics; wearing leather shoes; engaging in sexual relations; and studying Torah. Work in the ordinary sense of the word is also restricted. People who are ill need not fast on this day. Many of the traditional mourning practices are observed: people refrain from smiles, laughter and idle conversation, and sit on low stools.
In the synagogue, the book of Lamentations is read and mourning prayers are recited. The ark (cabinet where the Torah is kept) is draped in black.
The list of dates commemorating the fast is then given: in 2005 it was “sunset August 13, 2005” to “nightfall August 14, 2005.”
The Jews lament the destruction of the temple because they have no hope outside of that physical structure. Sadly, as noted above, many Christians exhibit a similar attitude of mourning over the destruction of the temple. In fact—and I do not mean to appear insensitive in saying this—there ought to be a time of celebration when we recall the destruction of the temple for it was a redemptive destruction: it removed once-for-all the major impediment to the first century church, drawing a clear distinction between Judaism and Christianity.
In light of this mourning over the destruction of the temple, many expect that it will be rebuilt. Every so often rumours begin sprouting about the intention to rebuild the Jewish temple. Although the Jews would doubtless love to have their temple rebuilt I believe that it is biblically verifiable to argue that the temple will never be rebuilt. It has remained desolate for almost 2,000 years and, I believe, it will remain that way until (and after) the Lord returns.
There is no doubt that this is one of the most difficult chapters in Revelation. Most of the difficulty, however, lies in the explanation of the two witnesses (11:3-14ff). The opening verses (11:1-2) are far less ‘threatening’ and it is to these two verses that we turn our attention in this study.
The Gracious Preservation
In Revelation 7 John records an interlude between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals. This interlude was designed as a sovereign pause in order for God to preserve His true people before pouring out His full wrath. The opening verse of this chapter records a similar interlude: “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure thetempleofGod, and the altar, and them that worship therein” (Revelation 11:1).
Preliminary Considerations
Before seeking to expound the text under consideration some important preliminary observations must be made. The first observation is this: whatever John means about the temple in this chapter, it is clear that the temple (and the city) is still standing as He writes. Interestingly, this can only mean that Revelation was written prior to 70 A.D. rather than—as many scholars suggest—after 90 A.D. It would have made no sense for John to be commanded to measure the temple if the structure had already been destroyed. Kenneth Gentry has written a 400-page volume—entitled Before Jerusalem Fell—dealing with the dating of Revelation. He considers the reference to the temple in Revelation 11 to be strong evidence for an early (i.e. pre-70 A.D.) date of authorship:
Another noteworthy historical datum in Revelation is found in Revelation 11 where we discover a reference to the Temple… [Friedrich] Düsterdieck writes with deep conviction regarding Revelation 11:1ff.: “It is sufficient for chronological interest, that the prophecy depends upon the presupposition that the destruction of the Holy City had not yet occurred…”
Gentry further cites Bernhard Weiss: “The time of the Apocalypse is also definitely fixed by the fact that according to the prophecy in chap. xi. it was manifestly written before the destruction ofJerusalem, which in xi. 1 is only anticipated.” Gentry concludes that “this evidence,” along with some other evidence with which he deals in his book, “form unsurpassable barriers to a date post-A.D. 70.”
As many scholars have noted, it would be astounding that John should fail to mention in Revelation the destruction of the temple had that already taken place. Historians assure us that70 A.D. is one of the best attested dates in all of history. But as John writes the words if 11:1-2 he makes no note whatsoever that the temple of which he writes has been destroyed. It is safe, therefore, to assume that the temple still stood when he wrote.
Of course, not all scholars accept this reasoning. Most contemporary scholars accept a late (i.e. post-90 A.D.) date of authorship for Revelation. In doing so, they must deal with the reference to the temple in 11:1-2 and they do so by suggesting that the temple must be rebuilt sometime in our future. Charles Ryrie, for instance, writes, “Apparently the temple will be rebuilt.” And Ryrie does not stand alone. Robert L. Thomas, a leading scholar on Revelation, writes, “A distinct hope of Christians is for the future repentance of Israel. This requires a reinstitution of the national life of this people, including itsTemple… These worshippers in John’s vision represent a future godly remnant inIsraelwho will worship God in the rebuiltTemple.”
How should we respond to such suppositions? I believe a rebuilt temple can only be seen in this text in two conditions: (1) a blatant ignoring of the text and, (2) a presupposition which is then forced upon the text. First, the text simply speaks of “the temple of God,” giving no indication whatsoever that it is a rebuilt temple. Anyone reading this text in the first century would immediately think of the temple built by Herod, not of a temple in the distant future that would be rebuilt. A plain reading of the text simply suggests that the temple is still standing as John writes.
Second, a rebuilt temple must be a presupposition forced upon the text. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever in the New Testament that the temple will be rebuilt in our future. Ryrie’s “apparently” is not apparent at all! It is only apparent to those who have already formed their system of eschatology and who seek to make that system fit into the biblical text.
Though Robert Thomas is a fine scholar I am not sure that he has really thought through what he has written. Though I certainly agree that “a distinct hope of Christians is for the future repentance ofIsrael,” I do not see why “this requires a reinstitution of the national life of this people, including itsTemple.” Why is a rebuilt temple necessary for a future repentance ofIsrael? Will a repentantIsraelnot understand that Christ is the fulfilment of the temple? Will not a repentantIsraelthus repent of lamenting over the temple? Will they not desire the Substance of the covenant (Christ) rather than the shadows thereof (the Old Testament sacrifices)? The author of Hebrews rebuked the Jews of his day for rejecting Christ by persisting with the temple sacrifices; are we to believe that repentantIsraelwill return to these sacrifices?
This understanding of the end times—known as dispensational premillennialism—actually sees two future, rebuilt temples. The first rebuilt temple will supposedly be desecrated and destroyed by Antichrist during the Great Tribulation; the second temple will purportedly be rebuilt during the Millennium. This is even more astounding. AMillennial temple would require a High Priest to oversee its sacrifices; that High Priest would obviously be Christ (for Christ is, according to the premillennialist, physically on earth during the Millennium). As Gary DeMar has noted, “Such a Millennial temple would require Jesus to officiate over the very animal sacrifices that He shed His blood to replace.” Such theology makes absolutely no biblical sense!
Let us put ourselves in John’s shoes for a moment. What do you suppose would have been in his mind as he received this vision? As he heard about the destruction of the temple he would doubtless have thought back immediately to the Olivet Discourse. In response to the awe of the disciples over “the buildings of the temple” Jesus said, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:1-2). Furthermore, Jesus had assured His disciples that this destruction would take place in “this generation” (Matthew 24:33-35; i.e. the generation living at that time). As John wrote, the 40-year time period of which Jesus spoke (a biblical “generation” was 40 years) was quickly drawing to an end. John, who certainly believed Jesus’ words, would have anticipated the soon destruction of the temple, and this is immediately what he would have thought of as he received this vision.
Consider also the biblical time indicators. The Lord had clearly told him at the outset that the things he would see as recorded in Revelation “must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1). He had reinforced this by assuring His servant that the fulfilment of the vision was “at hand” (Revelation 1:3). John, then, would not have expected the destruction of one temple followed by a 2,000 year plus gap before the rebuilding and destruction of another temple. Instead, he would have expected what he saw in 11:1-2 to be fulfilled shortly.
Consider also, as noted above, that there is nothing in Scripture that demands (or even suggests) a future temple. DeMar has said it well:
To propose that Jesus was describing a rebuilt temple must be proven from Scripture. The New Testament mentions nothing about a rebuilt temple. There is nothing inMatthew 24 [or Revelation, we might add] that even hints at the rebuilding of the temple. Why would Jesus confuse His listeners and those of us who read His recorded prophecy by leaving out a crucial detail like a rebuilt temple? It does not make sense.
In sum, there is no good reason to suggest that the chapter is about a rebuilt temple. Instead—as I will seek to prove momentarily—it is about the destruction of a physical temple and the establishment of a true, spiritual temple, otherwise known as the church ofJesus Christ (cf.1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16;Ephesians 2:19-20; 1 Peter 2:5-7).
Exegetical Considerations
Having established some preliminary considerations, we now move to the actual exegesis of the biblical text. In his vision, John is given “a reed like unto a rod.” This was some sort of measuring stick. The “angel” that John had seen in the previous chapter speaks to him again, “Rise, and measure thetempleofGod, and the altar, and them that worship therein.”
To “measure” in Scripture was to mark off a boundary, primarily for protection and ownership. Chilton has described it as “a symbolic action in Scripture to divide between the holy and profane and thus to indicated divine protection from destruction.” The picture before us alludes directly to an Old Testament vision of the prophet Zechariah:
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measureJerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
(Zechariah 2:1-5)
In Zechariah’s vision it is clear that the measuring represented God’s protection. Judah had returned from exile inBabylonand, whilst the city was being rebuilt, God promised to be “a wall of fire round about”Jerusalem. No harm would come to His people for He would protect them Himself. InNumbers 35:5the Levites were given measurements in the midst of which they would own cities. Measuring thus was an Old Testament symbol of protection and ownership. And the measuring in Revelation 11 has Old Testament overtones: “thetempleofGod, and the altar, and them that worship therein” were divinely protected.
Now, this may seem contradictory at first glance. After all, the temple was not protected; it was destroyed. This is true but we should understand the symbolism of the vision. The word translated “temple” in 11:1 is the Greek word naos. There are two words in the New Testament for the temple: naos and hieron. The word hieron refers to the temple structure as a whole, including the outer courts and walls. The word naos, on the other hand, refers to the sanctuary proper—the Holy Place and Most Holy Place. We might say that naos refers to the true temple. As such, the New Testament authors often described believers, the church as the naos of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:14; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5; etc.). The symbolism of 11:1 is this: though the physical temple would be destroyed by the Romans, the true temple ofGod, the believing remnant inJerusalem, would be divinely protected.
As noted earlier, there was a sovereign pause between the breaking of the sixth seal (6:12-17) and the breaking of the seventh seal (8:1-6). The interlude (Revelation 7) was designed as a means of protection for God’s people. There, God sealed His faithful remnant (the 144,000) to protect them from the judgement. The verse under consideration (11:1) is a further picture of the same truth: God pausing to protect His people from judgement. In Revelation 7 this protection is signified by marking; in Revelation 11 it is signified by measuring. But the visions record the same thing: the divine protection of God’s people from the judgement about to befallJerusalem. One author has summarised the thought of 11:1 well:
…the measuring of the Temple is for the preservation of its innermost aspects, i.e. the ????, altar, and worshippers within (Rev. 11:1). This seems to refer to the inner-spiritual idea of theTemple in the New Covenant era that supercedes the materialTemple of the Old Covenant era. Thus, while judgment is about to be brought upon Israel, Jerusalem, and the literal Temple complex, this prophecy speaks also of the preservation of God’s new Temple, the Church (Eph. 2:19ff; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Pet. 2:5ff) that had its birth in and was originally headquartered in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47;Acts 1:8; 8:1; 15:2). Notice that after the holocaust, the altar is seen in heaven (Rev. 11:18, sic [should be 11:19]), whence Christ’s kingdom originates (John 18:36; Heb. 1:3) and where Christians have their citizenship (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1, 2).
There was nothing wrong with the temple structure itself. In fact, when the new covenant church was first born in Jerusalemthe believers worshipped at the temple. They did not go to the temple to sacrifice; they went to pray and worship (cf. Acts 3:1; 5:12; etc.). The fact that Jesus cleansed the temple—twice, in fact (John 2:12-17; Matthew 21:12-13)—clearly indicates that there was nothing wrong with worship at the temple. The problem in the New Testament was that the Jews had perverted the temple worship and rejected the One to whom the temple sacrifices pointed. Nevertheless, God recognised (as is clear from 11:1-2) that there was a true naos in Jerusalem. And though the physical hieron would be destroyed, the true naos would be preserved.
The message of 11:1-2, then, is the same as that of Revelation 7:1-8. As noted in preceding studies Revelation is not strictly chronological: themes often repeat themselves in a climactic spiral. J.E. Leonard records this preservation historically:
History tells us that about A.D. 65, as a result of Jewish rebellion against Rome, Cestius Gallus marched against the cities of Judea, eventually coming to Jerusalem. His siege was successful and the city was ready to surrender when, for some inexplicable reason, Gallus turned back his troops and departed. Christians inJerusalem, some of whom had come from other towns to celebrate Passover there, apparently recognized that Jesus’ prophecy was being fulfilled when the Romans marched around the city. Before the next army, led by Vespasian, returned to make an assault, followers of Jesus escaped toPellaand other neighboring towns. Historians report that no Christians were trapped and destroyed in the siege ofJerusalemwhich was eventually completed in A.D. 70.
The fact that 11:1 records the true temple (naos) of God is clear from the fact that John is told of “them that worship therein.” An unbeliever cannot worship God. He may go to church, sing the hymns, drop money in the offering plate, bow his head when the pastor prays and listen to the sermon. But the unbeliever cannot exercise true worship; he cannot worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
The destruction of the old temple amidst the preservation of the new temple (the new covenant church) again repeats the covenantal theme of Revelation. In essence, Revelation is the record of God divorcing Israel because of her failure to keep the old covenant and His marriage to the church because Jesus Christ kept the conditions of that covenant, thereby instituting a new covenant. Israel had played the harlot; God would now wed Himself to a new bride. Thus, the old covenant would come to an end and a new covenant would be instituted. But please note: in no way can it be said that God ‘cancelled’ His covenant. On the contrary,Israelbroke her covenant with God (seeLeviticus 26;Deuteronomy 28).
The Gentile Desolation
This verse tells of the excommunication of apostate Israel in the prophecy of the great tribulation and the destruction of the temple. The true noas of God would be protected but the hieron would not enjoy the same privilege: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:2).
John was to measure the sanctuary proper but to ignore “the court which is without the temple.” That is, he was not to measure anything outside the actual sanctuary. That which was not measured would not enjoy the preservation of that which was measured; in fact, the unmeasured would be “given unto the Gentiles” who would trample “the holy city…under foot forty and two months.” This proves that the measuring was for protection because that which was not measured would be destroyed.
The spiritual temple of God was described in 11:1; now—in 11:2—John turns his attention to the physical temple. The physical naos would be destroyed along with the physical hieron: not one stone would be left standing upon another (Matthew 24:1-2). But the spiritual naos (Christianity) would be protected as the physical temple—along with the religious hieron (Judaism)—would be destroyed.
The phrase “leave out” translates the Greek word ekballo, which is often translated as “cast out” (seeMatthew 7:5, 22, etc.). The word is frequently used of Jesus casting out demons, which has led some to describe Christ’s ministry as “ekballistic.” An interesting use of the word is to be found in the record ofJohn 9. Jesus had healed a man blind from birth and this had raised eyebrows (9:1-12). The leaders of the local synagogue, wary lest Jesus should be hailed a Saviour, sought to quell the excitement. They succeeded in silencing his parents (9:18-23) but could not silence him. When he persisted in claiming Christ as sinless (9:13-17, 24-33) they “cast him out” of the synagogue (9:34).
In Acts 7:58Stephen’s persecutors “cast him out” of the city before stoning him. The word is further used on the two occasions of Jesus cleansing the temple. In John 2:15, “he drove them all out of the temple” (emphases added) and in Matthew 21:12, He “cast out” those who had turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves. The word was used by Jesus to speak of “the children of the kingdom” being “cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12 – emphasis added; cf.Luke 13:28). It was further used of Satan being “cast out” at the cross (John 12:31).
When John was told to “leave out” everything without the naos it was a prophecy that Judaism and the old covenant would be cast out in favour of Christianity and the new covenant. And this would happen by the trampling of the Gentiles. In fact, it is significant that the Lord specifically tells John to “leave out” the “court which is without the temple.” The physicaltemple ofNew Testament times had a court outside the sanctuary known as “the Court of the Gentiles.” Gentiles were permitted to enter this outer court but were not allowed any closer to the sanctuary. In essence, the Lord was saying to the religious Jews of that generation, “You are no better than the Gentiles that you have for so long excluded.” He would no longer permit them to come into His presence; they must remain without the sanctuary. He would treat them in the same way that they treated the Gentiles: they would be cast out of His true temple.
John is told, further, the duration for which the Gentiles would trample the Holy City under foot: “forty and two months,” or 3½ years. This trampling under foot for 42 moths was first prophesied by the Lord in the Olivet Discourse. We turn our attention to Luke’s version:
In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
(Luke 21:19-24)
Both Luke and John tell us of Jerusalem (the Holy City) being trodden down by Gentiles (Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:2). But, whereas Luke refers to this simply as “the times of the Gentiles,” John tells us precisely when “the times of the Gentiles” would end: in 42 months (3½ years). According to Josephus the siege ofJerusalem, once the Christians left (as noted above by J.E. Leonard), lasted about 42 months. God preserved His church just as He promised He would.
“The times of the Gentiles” would end within 42 months (11:2) of the escape of the Christians to Pella (11:1). But what precisely was “the times of the Gentiles”? In 586 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar ofBabylonformally siezed control ofJudahwhen he, like Titus many years later, destroyedJerusalemand the temple. InDaniel2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, whichDanielinterpreted for him. The dream concerned a massive statue with a head of gold, a torso of silver, a midriff and thighs of brass, and legs of iron, mixed with clay. InDaniel’s interpretation each section of the image represented a world power:Babylonas the head, Medo-Persia as the torso,Greeceas the midriff and thighs, andRomeas the legs and feet. The kingdoms would succeed one another in descending order:Babylonwould fall to the Medo-Persians, Medo-Persia to the Greeks, andGreeceto the Romans. And, in each instance,Israel—then the people of God—would be under the control of the contemporary world power.
But Nebuchadnezzar also saw a small stone, which crashed into the image bringing the entire statue down. This stone represented Christ’s ministry. The stone then became a huge mountain, which covered the earth. This represented the result of Christ’s ministry, the new covenant church.
“The times of the Gentiles” was the time during which Gentile nations controlled God’s people. But whenJerusalemwas destroyed by Titus it effectively brought the control of Gentile powers over God’s people to an end. When Judaism was effectively stopped, the church began to soar. And it was only a few centuries before the feet of that statue crumbled. In410 A.D. the paganRoman Empirecollapsed—largely because of the influence of Christianity. Steadily, the church began to grow through missions. Today, the church is indeed a large mountain compassing the earth. The church is “the kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom [which] shall not be left to other people, but [which] shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and [which] shall stand for ever” (Daniel2:44).
“The times of the Gentiles” concluded in70 A.D. with the destruction of the temple. We no longer live in “the times of the Gentiles.” Instead, we live in the times of Messiah and His kingdom. The Jews may hold an annual fast to lament the destruction of the Jewish temple. In truth, that destruction was a time of rejoicing, for it showed that Messiah’s time had come.
When the Gentiles world powers of old wanted to control God’s people they had to control the Holy Land and the temple in Jerusalem. But the new temple is not localised (John 4:19-24). The church, therefore, cannot be controlled. And we should thus be grateful for the destruction of the temple for it brought to an end the localised worship of the true God. Worship never ceases in this world for, when worshippers in one country are going to bed, worshippers in another country are just waking up to prepare for worship.
Ralph Bass summarises the thought of 11:1-2 by quoting J. Massyngberde Ford, “Measuring the holy and excluding the outsiders precedes the seventh trumpet just as the sealing of the elect precedes the seventh seal.” And Gentry says it this way, “Thus John reveals both the prophetic certainty of the material temple’s destruction and the fact of the preservation of his true temple, his church, his new covenant people, his new priesthood.”
In short, there was a miracle amidst a mess. Amidst the horrific Jewish War God preserved His people. His kingdom came into this world and it continues to do so through the spreading of the gospel to all nations. Our worship is safe and sure if we are part of God’s true naos by His grace alone.